Bananas and Food Security - Bioversity International

162 Les productions bananières / Bananas and food security – Session 1
point of view of its production, processing and utilisation. The versatility of plantain crop
in the kitchen and its potential as an industrial raw material for the production of baby
weaning food are examined.
The paper highlights the problems of plantain utilization in Nigeria, associated primarily
with its production, as the traditional subsistence agriculture cannot sustain a steady
supply of plantain fruits for domestic and industrial consumption. Equally discussed are
the socio-economic benefits of plantain to the national economy along the lines of
employment provision, income generation, and increase in food production and rural
development.